Thursday, May 31, 2012

The ol' Singer Confidence Quilter got too noisy and had too many tension problems... So yesterday, I broke down and spent way more than I planned on a Baby Lock Elizabeth! I barely got to use it but so far I love it!

It's from Gloria Horn in Pittsburgh - with the purchase I get three classes teaching me how to use all the neat features on my new machine. It's got an amazing automatic needle threader and thread cutter. I also ordered a large extension table. So excited to get home and sew!!

I've got the Charming Stars quilt all basted and partially quilted - I might rip that out because it was done on the Singer and looks bad on the back. Lizzie will be doing the rest of the quilting! I've also started on a jelly roll quilt that will be squares and rectangles made with Hometown by Sweetwater. And there are supplies on the way to make a t-shirt quilt for a friend of mine - it'll be the first I've done since high school (and the first since I really learned how to quilt). Lots of fun sewing on the way... but I also want to ride my bike more. It's going to be tough!

Friday, May 11, 2012

It's a good thing Baby G's quilt was finished up on Monday night because she arrived a few weeks earlier than anticipated! :) I wrote up the label (first time I've ever labelled a quilt - that's something that should probably become a habit) and put it in the wash. It's probably my favorite thing I've made so far!

A hammock is the perfect place for a photo shoot!! The lighting is a little weird - my photography skills need some work.

A close-up of some of the prairie points - they were way easier than I had expected them to be and they turned out so well! Baby G is going to love chewing on them!

My second-favorite fabric of the collection is this red one.

My absolute favorite out of all of them! Maybe even my all-time favorite fabric! I chose that for the backing.

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

For years I promised my brother I'd make him a quilt. In November 2011, I bought a fat quarter bundle of Farmyard by Sentimental Studios. It seemed appropriate for his style - the fabric has sort of a vintage look to it. The patterns remind me of the line drawings in the library books at my elementary school.

It's the biggest quilt I've made so far - I believe it finished at 106 inches square.

These photos were taken during the winter and it was too gross out to get any outside pictures - so I had to stand upstairs and take photos down into the living room to get the full view of the quilt! It's draped over the couch.

I used Moda Natural and some of the leftover fabric to piece the back.

I wish I'd taken some up-close pictures! The quilt is used on a nightly basis... I'll have to go some pictures of the worn-in version sometime!

More old projects will be posted while new ones are in progress. I finished up Baby G's pinwheel quilt, just waiting for him or her to be born so I can write on the label. It's the first quilt I've put a label on! After that, there will be photos. And I've made some good progress on the Charming Stars quilt. I ordered some Kona solids for the border/backing/binding this morning.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Just completed my first ever prairie points!!! I love them and need to find a way to use them in more quilts. Ok well maybe they're more suited to small quilts. But still.

A friend of mine is having her first baby next month and this is baby's quilt! As they are keeping gender a surprise, I didn't want to go with a masculine or feminine fabric. Cosmo Cricket's Salt Air collection was the perfect selection! I loosely followed Moda Bake Shop's baby pinwheel quilt tutorial and used one charm pack of Salt Air and some Bella Solids yardage in porcelain. The back will feature the multi-colored plume print and the binding will be a striped pattern. Basting tomorrow perhaps.

The pinwheels are made by placing two charms (one pattern, one solid) right sides together, sewing a 1/4" seam allowance around the entire square, then cutting corner-to-corner (both directions), pressing open, and arranging into a pinwheel!

Oh and all the Charming Stars blocks are finished! That is on hold until Baby G's quilt is finished!